Apple Admits Hardware Issue With 13-inch MacBook Pro

Apple has reportedly circulated an internal memo to Apple Stores and authorized sellers over the hardware issue with the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The hardware issue has plagued the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with a standard row of physical function keys rather than a Touch bar.

Hardware issue with 13-inch MacBook Pro

In the memo, the company specifically mentions the faulty logic board and solid state drive (SSD). According to Apple, both the hardware pieces need to be replaced at the same time if the MacBook Pro has issues with either one.

“Apple has identified a specific population of MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) units requiring both solid state drives and the main logic board to be replaced when either has a functional failure,” the internal document (obtained by MacRumors) says.

Apple has clarified that the issue is exclusive to the 2017 edition, and is not found in any MacBook Pro models with or without the Touch Bar including the ones released in 2016. What Apple does not mention is the reason for this hardware issue, and the percentage of machines that are expected to be hit by this hardware issue.

Apple reportedly has approved free repairs for this issue whether in or out-of-warranty. Nevertheless, it is always advisable to back up your data because you never know when your SSD could fail.

In the memo, Apple clarified that unrelated issues – such as a cracked display or an unresponsive trackpad – do not call for the SSD-Logic board replacement. For liquid damage or accidental damage, the repair would have a fee if the MacBook Pro is out-of-warranty.

To go ahead with the repair, the owner must go the Get Support page on Apple’s website and select “Mac” > “Mac notebooks”>“Hardware Issues” > “The topic is not listed.” The user would need to explain the issue and select continue. Thereafter, select “Bring in for Repair” to schedule an appointment with an Apple authorized service provider. Affected users can also contact Apple’s support advisors by phone or online chat to initiate a mail-in repair in select countries.

Apple must address bigger issues

Apple’s internal memo proves that the company has taken note of the problem and is willing to resolve the issue. However, what might bother many is the amount of data (and time) needed for Apple to finally acknowledge the flaw in one of its major products. The action follows several class-action lawsuits, multiple stories of failure and Twitterati mocking the design flaw.

So, it’s time for Tim Cook and the team to work on the flawed design and ensure that such hardware issues do not surface again.

Several MacBook and MacBook Pro users in California have dragged Apple to court over the alleged issues in the design of its keyboards. In the latest lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California, plaintiffs Zixuan Rao and Kyle Barbaro claim that the keyboard on the MacBook and MacBook Pro are defective and “prone to fail.”

“Thousands of consumers have experienced this defect,” the plaintiffs claim, referring to the “butterfly” keyboard. About the keyboard in question, Apple claims that it is much better than the regular “scissors” keyboards. The plaintiffs argue that when the MacBook butterfly keyboard fails, the keys stick and do not respond to keystrokes.

New MacBook Pro coming

Despite the issues and lawsuits, the Cupertino, California-based company is supposedly working on a new MacBook Pro, which could be the best so far. The rumors of the new MacBook Pro followed a Geekbench listing, which revealed the existence of a 32GB MacBook Pro. The laptop scored 4,902 in a single-core test and 22,316 in multi-core test. Previously, the most powerful MacBook Pro tested by Geekbench to date had scored 4,969 in a single-core test and 16,999 in multi-core tests.

There were no talks of this new MacBook Pro at the WWDC, where Apple largely remained quiet on the hardware, and instead focused on the software updates coming to its line of the operating system. At the WWDC, Apple released the new version of High Sierra, which will come with Safari updates to block site trackers and autoplaying videos.

The update also includes new photo editing tools like curves, in addition to better filtering tools to sort images by keyword or faces. Further, the update would also bring a new file management system to ramp up the directory cloning with native encryption. Talking about the graphics, there is a second version of Metal, support for VR and a Metal 2 developer kit, which can be ordered with an AMD GPU to tune apps for external graphics.

Author: Aman JainAman is MBA (Finance) with an experience on both Marketing and Finance side. He has worked as a Risk Analyst for AIR Worldwide, and is currently leading VeRa FinServ, a Financial Research firm. Favorite pastimes include watching science fiction movies, reviewing tech gadgets, playing PC games and cricket. - Email him at amanjain@valuewalk.com